The new year
by BlueWinged
Summary: Ric and Sally looks back. Contains season finale spoilers for UK.


**The new year**

"Alf! Alf!" Colleen shouted as she came running after Alf, "did you hear?"

"Calm down, woman!" Alf replied in his usual way, "Hear what?"

"I was just telling my Lancie what a great actor he is, and what a star he was for the play, when Madge-"

"Oh, flamin' old cow," Alf muttered, "will you get to the point, Colleen?!"

"Sally kissed that Brad Armstrong!" Colleen said, "Can you believe it? I mean, he's a quite nice fellow, and handsome of course, but isn't it maybe a bit too soon after Dr. Saunders, I mean..."

She went on and on about Brad and Sally, trying to keep up with Alf who was trying to escape.

It was all over town.

Sally had kissed Brad Armstrong. No one really knew how it got out, but somehow everyone knew.

"Does Ric know?" Belle said, looking anxious.

"I don't know," Lucas replied, "why?"

"I'm not sure if he would like it," Belle said, "Flynn was like a dad to him..."

"He must be blind and deaf if he haven't found out yet," Lucas muttered, watching Colleen trying to keep up with Alf, talking more than ever.

"It isn't the best way to find out," Belle said, and Lucas turned to look at her.

"You're not suggesting that we should tell him?" he asked, "because I really don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" Belle asked.

"He should hear it from Sally, not us," Lucas said, and Belle knew from his tone that the iscussion was over.

"I guess you're right," she muttered before changing the subject to Christmas presents.

Matilda Hunter left the group of people standing in front of the school. She had been standing there with Beth, talking to some old friends, but now she was pretty much left out of the conversation, plus she had seen Ric leaving alone.

"Ric! Wait!" she shouted to her boyfriend. He stopped and turned around. Suddenly it felt a bit awkward, Mattie knew that Sally and Brad had kissed, and she wasn't sure how Ric felt about it, or even if he knew.

"Hey," he said, looking at her, "are you going home?"

"No," she said, finally catching up with him, "I'm going home with my mum, I just wanted to say goodnight."

Ric smiled and kissed her.

"Goodnight," he said, still smiling.

"Goodnight," Mattie replied, and let go of his hand. Ric started walking again, and left Mattie alone on the silent road, feeling incredibly guilty for letting him walk home alone through a town full of people talking about his family.

Sally looked over her shoulder as she unlocked her door, she could see villians on their way home from the Christmas pageant, and she knew what they were talking about.

Madge's daughter Lily had seen her and Brad kiss, and now it was all over town.

She didn't mind though. Usually she didn't like the smalltown gossip, but for a change it was about something nice that wouldn't end up hurting anyone.

The refrigerator door was opened.

"Hello?" Sally asked, "Ric, is that you?"

"Hi," he said, turning around.

"Why was the door locked, I didn't know you were home?"

"Oh that," Ric said, "I just didn't take the main road, so I went in the door on the backside of the house instead of walking around it."

"I see," Sally said, placing her purse on the table and carried Pippa to bed. She had fallen asleep in the car on their way home from the baby sitter, and for once Sally let her go to bed without brushing her teeth first.

The kitchen was dark when she came back, Ric hadn't bothered turning the lights on, and was now standing in front of the window eating an apple.

"Has Cassie called yet?" Sally asked. Ric just shook his head.

"Well, I guess it's a bit early yet," she said, sensing that a serious talk was just around the corner.

"Are you okay," she asked, looking at Ric, "You're so quiet..."

"Yes, I'm just... thinking," Ric replied, still not looking at her.

"What about?" Sally asked.

"Just, y'know... stuff," Ric said.

There was some tension between them, and Sally had a feeling he already knew about her and Brad.

"So I guess you have heard then," she said, and finally he turned around to look at her.

"About you and Brad? Yeah."

"I'm sorry you had to find out like that," Sally said, "I wanted to tell you myself, but..."

"I know," Ric said, and Sally thought for a second she could see a smile, "Smallltown gossip, huh?"

She laughed, a bit nervously, "Yeah, I guess..." she said.

There was complete silence for a second.

"Look, if you're not okay with it," Sally began.

"Why would that matter?" Ric said, and Sally realized this was the conversation she had been sensing.

"Because you're my son, Ric," Sally said, "and I want –and need – you to be okay with me and Brad."

"I'm okay with you and Brad," Ric said, but he didn't look at her face anymore, he was staring at the floor.

"Are you really?" Sally said, "Because I know how much Flynn meant to me."

"It's just," Ric began, "It's less than a year since Flynn died. A year ago we were one big family, and now Cassie has moved, and Flynn is..." he still couldn't say it sometimes.

"You think I'm moving too fast?" Sally asked, "I still love Flynn, Ric –"

"I know," Ric replied quickly, "I'm just afraid that we are... forgetting him..."

Sally sat down on the couch next to Ric. A statement about feeling that they were forgetting about Flynn required discussing.

They were silent for a moment before Sally began.

"Do you think I'm forgetting him because I'm with Brad?" she asked, almost whispering.

"No," Ric said, he couldn't look at her, "not because of Brad, I'm fine with Brad."

"Than what is the problem?"

Ric sighed, he looked sad.

"The year is almost over, and it hasn't exactly been a good year," he said, "And now that a new year is about to begin we're trying to put all those sad memories behind and start over. What if we put Flynn behind us?"

The last question was so desperate, and when he looked up Sally could see the pain in his eyes.

"Putting behind and forgetting is not the same, Ric," she said, struggling not to start crying.

"It's just... just," she gave up, the tears would come eventually anyway. Ric put his arm around her.

"We have to separate this last year," she cried, and now Ric was looking at her face, and not looking uncomfortable. He didn't even look as scared as he did a minute ago, his eyes were full of hope. It looked like every singe fibre of his brain and heart was concentrating on hoping that Sally would have something good and wise to say.

Sally didn't know if what she had to say would help at all, but she said it anyway.

"We have to put all the misery and pain behind us, not forget it, just put it behind us. But we can't put Flynn and all the good memories behind us. No new year can ever erase Flynn from our hearts!"

She had said what she had been thinking, and now she broke down in tears, realizing how much she missed Flynn, but also how thankful she was for Brad.

"It'll be fine," Ric said. Suddenly he was the one comforting her, "he would have wanted you to be happy, and you are happy with Brad."

"Are you okay with it? Really, truly okay with it?" she asked, drying her eyes.

"Yes, I am," Ric replied, "And... It will be a happy new year, right?"

Sally looked at him, and even though she still had tears in her eyes she smiled.

"Yes, Ric," she said, "It's going to be a great new year."


End file.
